Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Hello Everyone!
We made it through a full week of school!!! I hope your child had as much fun as I did!!! I have a darling class, and I'm anxious to be their teacher this year!
Please ask your child what we have been learning in class, and how they are feeling about things!!! I hope they are happy!! Please let me know if you have any concerns!
Spelling Words: Attach, where, sandwich, change, watch, singer, slippery, spring, gather, these, thread, athlete, worth, thirsty, whisper, whistle, awhile, nowhere, fossil, science.
Science: Fossils
Math: Estimating Sums and Differences of Whole Numbers (Rounding)
Reading: Hatchet (Whole Class).
I haven't sent home a reading calendar for August, but will send one home for September. Please keep it on your fridge or in a place that it can be seen as a reminder to read!!
We will start Reading Helpers after Labor Day!! I will contact those who have signed up to help!
Thanks so much for your support!!! Have a great week!! Remember there is NO SCHOOL next Monday, September 3!!!
<3 Karla Reynolds

Friday, August 17, 2012

Hello Everyone!
It was nice to see each of you at back To School Night! I have a darling class, and I'm excited to get to know and love each and every one of my students. The first two days went really well! Please ask your child what they did in class, and how they are feeling about 4th grade. Please let me know if you are having any concerns, so we can nip them in the bud! On Monday, we will start our regular routines in Math, Science, Reading, Language Arts, Music, P.E., Homework, Spelling, and Library. I'm looking forward to a full week! We will start Reading helpers after labor Day! I will inform those of you who signed up to help. Thank you for your support! I couldn't do your child justice, without you! :)
Spelling: Bridge, gravity, hungry, eclipse, secret, applaud, laundry, trouble, attract, twilight, between, describe, snowflake, freedom, slimy, glance, burglar, switch, earth, pangea.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Welcome To Mrs. Reynolds’ 4th Grade

Class!

“Reynolds’ Rockin’ Raptors”

I’m
thrilled to have such a wonderful group of students coming to my class this
year!Fourth Grade is very
exciting!During this year, many
concepts are introduced, reviewed, and built upon from previous years!I believe that the first step for a
successful school experience is helping each child discover that he or she is a
valued person and member of the classroombody.
I pledge to treat your child with dignity and respect.It is important to me that your child love
school!If, for some reason, you notice
your child is not feeling this way, please let me know. I am more than willing
to do what I can to help with the situation.I look forward to working with you and your Fourth Grader! Together we
can make this one of the most successful and memorable years ever!

Class
Blog:If you access our class blog once
a week, you will be informed on everything you need to know. If you do not have the internet, please let me
know and I will give your child a hard copy.I would appreciate your email address written on the 3X5 card I gave
you.To access my blog: Go to Iron
County School District. Click on schools, click on South Elementary, click on
teachers, click on Mrs. Reynolds picture.My email address is karla.reynolds@ironmail.org

Reading:It is important that your child read at least
30 minutes each day, from a book on his/her level. 15 minutes should be read
outloud to an older person, for clarification of vocabulary etc. and 15 minutes
in silence.Mark the time read each day
on the monthly reading calendar.At the
end of the month, please total the minutes read, add a parent’s
signature, and turn it into me on the first day of the following month.

We will learn about the different genre of
reading.There will be a “Battle of the
Books” competition toward the end of the year.I will inform you of the books that will be involved.

Book
Reports:Book Reports will be given on a
different genre each month.Each report
is presented in a different way.I will
inform you well in advance on the blog, the type of genre, how it is to be done,
and when the report is due.

Spelling:A “Spelling List” will be sent home each week
and also posted on the blog.We will
work in class on spelling and vocabulary.The weekly “Spelling Test” will be given each Friday.Sorry, but spelling tests cannot be made up. LWe will incorporate vocabulary words from our
math, science, social studies, and class reading books.We will be having a grade level, as well as a
school wide “Spelling Bee,” at the end of the year.That spelling list will go home well in
advance, so your child may study through out the year.

Math:Our math book is called enVision Math!

I’m
excited about this book because it goes right along with The Common Core and is
accessible to you at home through the internet!We also do ADD, Mountain Math, Multiplication Tables Charts that will be
tested on each Friday, and Daily Math as homework.Using a variety of math resources will assist
students in learning the Common Core for 4th grade.

Science:We will start the year exploring “Land Before
Time.”We will explore the Scientific
Method.Studies include classification,
The Earth, Land Zones or Biomes (Deserts, Forests, Wetlands (Riparian Areas),
Rocks and Minerals, Fossils, Dinosaurs, Indigenous Plants of Utah, The Water
Cycle, Weather, Animals and Insects.

Social
Studies:We study Utah’s History,
starting with the American Indians, Spanish Explorers, Mountain Men, Utah
Pioneers, and the symbols and counties of Utah.Utah Studies Weekly is a fantastic newspaper addition that helps teach
these topics in more depth.

Language
Arts & Writing:Students are given
Daily Language lessons, Mountain Language, and writing activities.We will write letters, poetry, *Journal Jots,
Stories, Persuasive Advertisements, Tall Tales, Compare/Contrast, Descriptive,
Haikus, Cinquains, and writing of students individual interests.We will use The Six Traits to improve writing
skills. Monthly *Journal Jots will be written in class, then taken home for you
as a parent, to critique and send back to class each month.

Homework:Reading at least 30 minutes each night:Daily math practice sheet, anything that was
not finished in class, spelling, multiplication tables, and extra work where
needed.

Missing
Assignments List: Sent home once per quarter.

Grade
Printouts:Sent home once per
quarter.Please visit “Power School”
regularly to keep-up-to date on your child’s grades and missing
assignments.The website location, your
child’s confidential ID, and password is in The South Elementary Folder. Please
keep it in a safe place, and refer to it often. J

*Organizational
skills are reinforced in 4th grade.Each student is responsible for his/her own work.If a child’s assignment is missing, they can
visit the “Extras Cart” to find an extra copy.I make five extra copies of each assignment.If the extras are all gone, the score remains
a zero.I am not able to make extra
copies for individual students.If this
becomes a chronic problem for a particular student, I will be contacting the
parent to come up with a plan to solve the problem.

Attendance:
Attendance is crucial to the success of each child. Please do what you can to
schedule lessons, Dr. appointments, and vacations outside of school time.If you need to pick up your child during
school hours, please check them out at the office first.If your child is absent, the work that was
done during the day, will be put on his/her desk to complete when they
return.Your child may bring this work
home to complete, then, return it to school. Please do not ask me to gather
work for your child ahead of timeJ

Behavior
Policy and Procedures:Each child, by Law,
has the equal opportunity to learn. Therefore, students are expected to
demonstrate good behaviors each day.Students are expected to follow the teacher’s directions promptly and
with a good attitude.They are
expected to treat others with respect and take responsibility for their own
actions. When students comply with these
expectations, they earn the right to stay in the “Class Cluster.”If after three strikes,
or verbal warnings, for misbehavior, the student will be moved away from the
cluster and becomes an “Outlier.” (*Mathmatical Terms) The student must earn
their way back into the “Cluster”. If for some reason the student continues to be
noncompliant when he/she is an “Outlier,” three more strikes, and he/she will
be referred to Mr. Oldroyd, and the parent will be contacted. A behavior plan
will be put in place.If the child
becomes an “Outlier” a second time, the child will be referred to the “Skill
Building” program. L

Sharing:In 4th grade we do not have time
for a regular sharing time.If a child
has an item that is applicable to what we are studying in class, he/she may ask
me a day or so ahead of time, if they can bring it to share. Otherwise,
toys and other items should be left at home.If a child is caught playing with anything during instructional time, I
will confiscate it until you, “The Parent” picks it up.

Birthdays:A Birthday sheet is included in “The South
Elementary” folder. It needs to be filled out and returned to class ASAP.We will celebrate your child’s birthday as
close to the real day as possible.Summer Birthdays are celebrated as a half birthday.You may send a store bought treat for the
class, if you wish. J

Thank
you for “Popping” in to “Back To School Night!”Let’s make this school year, the best your child has ever had!!! With
your help, we can do it!!!

About Me

I was born in Cedar City. I attended East Elementary, Cedar Jr. High and Cedar High School. I was President of the German Club and Drill Mistress for Mohey Tawa. I was First Attendant to Miss Iron County and Miss SUU. I am the Mother of three children, Rene', Kurtis and Jonathan, who are all married, and have given me fourteen grandchildren. Nine girls, and five boys. I graduated from S.U.U. with a Major in Elementary Ed. and minors in Reading and Music. I have my ESL endorsement. This is my twenty-third year of teaching. I taught music for one year, then first grade for six years, and this is my Sixteenth year in 4th grade. I play four musical instruments: Piano, organ, guitar, and flute! I taught piano lessons from the age of seventeen, until I started teaching school. I'm our church organist and choir pianist. Music is my passion;)